1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to physical damage protection devices for watercraft, and more particularly to an independently deployable, storable, inflatable fender or bumper system for protecting the sides of hulls of watercraft when coming in contact with docks, pilings and like fixed objects.
2. Description of Related Art
With considerable expense incurred when purchasing watercraft, owners have resorted to various means for protecting the sides and hulls of their vessel when docking and while being tied to a dock, wharf, piling and the like. Damage can also occur to the rub rail and gunnel of the watercraft when tied to a dock or wharf from wind and wakes from passing watercraft.
In order to minimize such damage, owners have used buoyant bumper devices removably connectable to the watercraft and such other devices as described herebelow. Typically, these include foam or air-filled members used only when docking and are removed when the watercraft is under way. These devices require owners to manually place and remove them and are thereafter placed inside the watercraft, taking up space.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,980 to Eisner teaches an inflatable bumper system for watercraft comprising a plurality of inflatable bladders and an air compressor for inflating various bladders to be inflated depending on need. The bumper system of the '980 patent is modular and adaptable to permit only the needed bumpers to inflate. A combined foam and inflatable collar assembly for watercraft is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,040 to Hemphill, et al.
An air bag system for vehicle bumpers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,265 to Baber and U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,031 to Inman, et al. teaches inflatable bumpers mounted to the rigid hull of a boat with a mechanism for selectively inflating the bumpers. The first inflatable bumper mounted to the hull about the gunwale and a second inflatable bumper mounted at the waterline to keep the watercraft afloat.
Fujisawa, et al. teaches a multi-cell, air filled bag adapted for a dock fender in U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,136 and Fenton discloses an inflatable, weighted boat fender in U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,997. U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,705 to Uruta, et al. discloses a pneumatic marine fender comprised of a cylindrical barrel serving as a shock receiving face which is reinforced with cord layers for strength.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,122 to Skulnick discloses an inflatable boat fender in U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,122. U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,442 assigned to the Secretary of the Navy teaches a “smart” bumper system with a variably controllable valve responsive to impact conditions for use with large and small marine vessels. The bumper includes fiber-reinforced high strain-to-failure viscoelastic matrix material.
The present invention includes two elongated airtight tubular fenders, which are expandable when in use, and are retractable when uninflated and storable into a rolled configuration within the structure of the watercraft. The inflatable fender system of the present invention may be user deployed or automatically deployed, each side of the fender system being independently deployable as required. The deployed tubular fenders are supported in many embodiments by a plurality of hangers connected in spaced relation between the watercraft and the tubular fenders.